A dangerous animal gets free from a secluded Southern California research center, and soon bodies begin to appear. The local Sheriff and an animal specialist investigate the situation—played by Eric Roberts and Melissa Brasselle—which takes them to the strange facility at the heart of it all. Corbin Bernsen portrays the stereotypical unhinged scientist. "Raptor" (2001) is a low-budget monster movie that draws inspiration from films like “Jurassic Park” (1993), “Godzilla” (1998), “Aliens” (1986), and "Tremors" (1990). It was initially planned as a continuation of the “Carnosaur” series, released between 1993 and 1996, so it incorporates existing footage from those earlier films for its creature effects. The visuals are integrated smoothly enough that you probably won’t notice. Some might consider this "Carnosaur 4." Being a Roger Corman production, directed by Jim Wynorski—someone who has worked with Corman frequently—it's a decent low-budget film, and the cast seems to be enjoying themselves on set. The scenes involving covert operations are surprisingly well executed. It’s lively but ultimately predictable and unoriginal. It feels like Roger Corman and Wynorski were essentially acting as cinematic Frankenstein and Igor—combining elements from other movies and connecting them with filmmaking techniques. Even the musical score by James Horner is taken from previous projects. Lorissa McComas, sporting a large hairstyle, plays the Sheriff’s daughter and makes an impression among the female characters, although she disappears from the story after the first half. Teresa DePriest, who has a striking appearance, also delivers a strong performance. The film's length is 1 hour, 21 minutes, and filming took place at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in Agua Dulce, California. GRADE: C+

Source on TMDB